as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
fortunately, during the crisis there was no shilly-shallying on the part of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ambivalent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hesitating
to show uncertainty about the right course of action
I didn't shilly-shally but instead raced to the hospital as soon as I heard the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
with dinner guests due in two hours, there was no time to shilly-shally in front of the TV set
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shilly-shallying
Noun
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Issues related to social justice, politics, sustainability, and mental health regularly intersect with entertainment stories, placing celebrities under pressure to publicly take stances on divisive topics, often without room for error or hesitation.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025 -
Consumer Confidence Is Still in Retreat Even as prices have started to ease, consumer hesitation lingers.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With good reason, many European governments fear that the Trump administration is fundamentally ambivalent about the course of the war.—
Jack Watling,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Thousands of actors have tackled the Bard's most tragic and ambivalent hero, but Laurence Olivier's eerie, atmospheric adaptation — the first major non-silent film version — makes the 400-year-old prince of Denmark seem devastatingly real.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
At least one legislator expressed hesitancy during a Senate committee vote Wednesday about the legislation’s expansive footprint.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Concerns about data quality, compliance and the rapid pace of AI advancements have created hesitancy, particularly when AI is hastily deployed into customer-facing applications.—
Sumit Johar,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Sunday will remain mild with highs near 52 and lingering rain chances.—
Nour Rahal,
Detroit Free Press,
24 Dec. 2024
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In the days since, many people have reported unsafe road conditions and lingering snow — along with uncollected leaf piles from fall leaf collection that were scattered back onto their yards by the snowplows, the council members said.—
Maia Pandey,
Journal Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The president announced a 90-day pause for several countries but increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Trump announced on Wednesday an abrupt pause in some of the tariff hikes.—
Elizabeth Crisp,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As such, The Studio is shrill and talky, its chaotic scenes sparked by random performers like Charlize Theron, Zac Efron, Olivia Wilde and Sarah Polley, all of whom want something from Remick.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
-
And as for the new show, the contestants are no longer random.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Carter first saw the disease up close in 1988 while visiting a village in Ghana where nearly 350 people had worms poking through their skin.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Dec. 2024
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At its most basic, a poke cake is made by poking holes into a warm cake and pouring on a frosting or filling mixture.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Some Republican lawmakers have already expressed hesitance about removing the governor’s executive authority over immigration enforcement.—
Ana Ceballos,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2025
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One attorney contacted by the Bay Area News Group expressed hesitance about whether their client was explicitly covered.—
Caelyn Pender,
The Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shilly-shallying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shilly-shallying. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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